Damien English (Meath, Fine Gael)

I am glad to have a chance to say a few words on the education sector, mainly dealing with class facilities and sizes. The Minister mentioned that the issue was not about school buildings or numbers of teachers, but also the quality of education.

Correct me if I am wrong but discipline is a major problem in schools. The handbook recently published and handed out to new teachers gives no guidance on how to control a class, so could some tips be added to it to give new teachers a chance as they try to teach in the big bad world?

Although it is not related to education I must mention what happened near Delvin today where another bus caught fire, although I do not blame the Minister. We are told the bus was 16 years of age. I compliment the bus driver on her quick action to ensure nobody was injured. I also compliment the pupil who raised the alarm. There must be change. How many more times are we to have accidents involving buses? I do not blame any one person but I call on those who have the power to stamp it out to do so once and for all. I ask the Minister to use her office, along with her colleague, the Minister for Transport, to devote extra effort to this cause. The people who own buses, be they private or public, such as Bus Éireann, must go the extra step to ensure their buses are safe.

There may be other reasons for what happened this week but most buses are not fit to be on the roads. We must question the process of testing buses for suitability. The system whereby they are given certificates of roadworthiness needs to be reviewed and higher standards demanded. I urge those who operate buses to forget about profits and costs and to think about people's lives, especially young people's lives. In a few days' time it will be the anniversary of the tragic crash in which five young girls lost their lives. The pain those families are going through is immense. Their school, Loreto, has launched a campaign entitled Life is Precious to try to raise awareness of the dangers of buses and other forms of transport and of the fact that life is a gift. I ask those who operate buses to listen to the young girls from Loreto and the parents of those who lost their lives last year. The message must go out loud and clear that we cannot take chances or short cuts and we should come down like a ton of bricks on any operator who takes a short cut by putting an unworthy bus on the road, or even one that is too old.

The Minister said that prefabs were not meant to be a long-term solution and that there was no reason they should last forever. When I was in high infants at Bohermeen national school, I remember two prefabs arriving on a crane. That was more than 20 years ago. Last week the same two prefabs were replaced by two new prefabs so the school is into its 21st year with prefabs. They may not be meant for the long term but that is what they become.

Modern prefabs are not too bad but the older ones were terrible, too cold in the winter and too hot in the summer. They were uncomfortable and cramped and unsuitable for people to learn in. We try to teach our young people to have respect for people and property but we force them into prefabs and other run-down buildings to be educated. That must stop because it sets a very bad example. The Minister talks about the billions being spent. We have more taxpayers' money to spend now so it is nothing for the Government to be proud of. However, it presents an opportunity to get things right but many schools do not have the facilities they need to teach their young people properly and where those young people can learn respect. The Minister's offices are always kept in good condition and our children deserve the same.

Some county councils, such as my own in Meath, are doing a good job trying to reserve sites but a problem is created over who buys a parcel of land while we wait for the Department of Education and Science to wake up and realise that a school needs to be built. Some councils, my own included, buy a site to hold on to until the Department of Education and Science decides it wants it. Councils cannot afford to do that and it is not their job. Will the Minister go a step further and buy sites? If they are not required for schools, they can be sold again.

The Department of Education and Science should be proactive and have them ready for schools. The Minister said Navan was an example of a growing town with many new families but they did not arrive over one week. They have been arriving over ten years. In Johnstown more than 200 new families have moved in but that has happened since 1996. We have had years to realise it and build a school but St. Stephen's is still in temporary accommodation. Two other schools, Naomh Eoin and Navan Educate Together are also in temporary accommodation. That represents a lack of planning on the part of the Department of Education and Science and councils but when land was zoned as far back as 1997, it should have been recognised that houses would be built and a school would be necessary.

I am delighted the devolved grant scheme for building schools was introduced because it was my idea and was proposed in one of my first speeches in late 2002. I made the suggestion to the then Minister, Deputy Noel Dempsey, and he took it on board. The scheme, however, was meant to provide enough money to get the job done. It was not meant to leave schools €150,000 or €200,000 short and having to spend their summers holding golf classic tournaments or tea parties to raise funds. There is still a gap which the Minister should review. She should consider providing that little bit extra to get the extra facilities built so that our children can have the chance of a proper education.

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